Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Mary, did you knowthat your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?Mary, did you knowthat your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?Did you knowthat your Baby Boy has come to make you new?This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you knowthat your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?Mary, did you knowthat your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?Did you knowthat your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God?

Mary did you know.. Ooo Ooo Ooo

The blind will see.The deaf will hear.The dead will live again.The lame will leap.The dumb will speakThe praises of The Lamb.

Mary, did you knowthat your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?Mary, did you knowthat your Baby Boy will one day rule the nations?Did you knowthat your Baby Boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?The sleeping Child you're holding is the Great, I Am.

This past Sunday marked the first Sunday of Advent, the beginning of the Church’s New Year, so I only find it fitting to post a song proper of the season. I don’t know that I have a particular Christmas song I would designate as my favorite, as I truly enjoy many; however, I find that this song moves me in a way not like other Christmas songs.

Like many Christmas songs, this song is about the birth of Christ. What charms me most about this song is it’s foretelling of who Christ is and the anticipation and joy of His arrival, which personifies the purpose of the Advent season. It is a dual reminder of the original waiting that was done by the Hebrews for the birth of their Messiah as well as the waiting that Christians today endure as they await the second coming of Christ… it is a divination of who the Christ is and the miracles of His glory.

I love all of the biblical references to the Gospel and especially the last one to the Book of Exodus. That's all I really have to say. I just really love this song!

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Veteran’s Day has just past, it makes me wonder about those who gave their lives in service to our country. Before his crucifixion, Christ told his disciples that there is no greater love than to lay one’s life down for his friends (John 15:13). I think this verse is quite serving for our heroes.

Then I thought of some our first heroes; the ones who gave their lives for the birth of our free and democratic society. What would they think our country now? Would they approve of the way that conservatives have hijacked the democracy, turning it and our “free market” into a truly fascist regime where citizens are no longer in control of?

Democracy - Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives.

Fascism - A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.

Now be perfectly honest with yourself. Which of these more accurately describes our current government? If you say “Democracy,” I strongly recommend that you try getting your info on current events from any other source than Fox News and then join the rest of us in a place I like to call reality!

It’s true. We have elections. But who do we get to vote for… people we want, or people that special interest groups, lobbyists, and big business want?

Who has more (any) influence on our elected officials… us, or special interest groups, lobbyists, and big business?

Who determines our national agenda… us, or special interest groups, lobbyists, and big business?

How come we entered into a war with virtually no debate? Is it because conservatives have suppressed all opposition through fear, terror, and belligerent nationalism?

What happens to any kind of Congressional oversight on anything the administration does? They are met with “executive privilege” (something that is only supposed to be used for national security). They are met with a president and vice president who believe they are above the law and constitution. This is a president that uses fear, torture, and war to usurp power. He would like us to give up our rights and freedoms in turn for his protection. How does this not describe a dictator?

Before I start on a rampage on Christian conservatives, I feel it necessary to articulate the fact that I hold no contempt or ill-will to Christians in general. I myself am a Roman Catholic Christian, and I strongly feel that most Christians really want to do what is right not just for themselves, but others as well… to truly be good disciples of Christ. I just feel that many Christians in America have been led astray by “false-prophets” who have hijacked religion in our country and have turned it into hate rather than love… people like Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and Ted Haggard (just to name a few)… people who have used the good will and trust of Christians to gain political authority and power for their own personal agendas and profit. These people have damaged Christianity in our country so badly that it hardly resembles Christianity anymore. So, my anger for this is directed to those leaders who have and still misuse Christianity, and even their followers who are too stubborn to think for themselves and come to the realization that have been led so far off course from Christ’s teachings.

I have nothing but pity for the highly pervasive amount of ignorance that many conservative hypocrites have who claim to be “moral” Christians. I honestly don’t know what morals and values that they think are “Christian.” Perhaps these “Christians” don’t realize that there is more to the Bible than just the Old Testament… there is something uniquely Christian in the Bible called the Gospels. These are the teachings and values of Christ… the most important part of the Christian Bible.

I know of a lot of so-called “moral” Christians who do nothing but quote the Old Testament. While I agree that the Bible is holy scripture, most of it is written by flawed humans who themselves are not without sin and bias. Yes, they had divine influence, but nonetheless, they are flawed human beings. That being said, the gospels are certainly more vital for true Christian values as it has the teachings from Christ, God in human form. I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to quote or live by anything in the Bible, it’s going to be the actual word of Christ, God… and maybe not so much on prophets who or more or less flawed middle men who interpret God’s word. I’d personally rather live by the teachings that God himself in human form taught.

Take health care… conservatives are against universal health care. They believe that only the privileged should have the right to good health; the poor and middle class that can’t afford health care for themselves and their children are just plain out of luck.

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’” (Matthew 19:23,24) “Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Luke 18:25) “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:25) This teaching is so important that it is in three of the four gospels.

Many of these privileged people always talk about “self responsibility.” They think that people deserve their lot in life. If you’re rich, it is because you are a “responsible” person who worked hard and deserve your wealth; if you’re poor, it’s because you lack responsibility and are too lazy to work. They don’t understand the nature of socioeconomics at work in our society.

When you can devote a great deal of time to your child’s development, specifically with respect to their education, your child is much more likely to take school work more seriously and actually get something out of their education. It even helps when you can send your child to a private school where they can get more one on one time with teachers. Higher education is also great when the student doesn’t have to worry about the cost because their parents can pay for it.

Now take a poor family (or even middle class.) Many of these parents work more than one job because one job simply isn’t enough to pay for housing, food, clothes, and even some kind of health care. When parents work more than one job, they don’t get the opportunity to spend as much time as privileged people do with their children. The kids don’t receive the same parental involvement with their education… not because their parents don’t care, but because their parents are working overtime to shelter, feed, and clothe their family. So for the few of these children who do still manage excel in school, what’s the likelihood that they will not have to work to put themselves through college… thus taking their focus off of higher education and on to their job that’s supporting their life.

This is obviously just the tip of the iceberg on some of the serious socioeconomic issues that widen the divide between the rich and the poor. I always thought that “family values” was a major issue for the so-called “moral” Christians. Perhaps keeping families together isn’t a moral value… I forgot, the so-called “moral” Christians believe that “family values” is hating homosexuals… I must have missed Christ’s condemnation of gays somewhere in the gospel, and how gays are destroying families. By the way, why is it that the most conservative parts of the country have the highest divorce rates, pre-marital sex rates, and abortion rates? Hypocrites?

As a Christian, one of the morals I learned is that nothing belongs to us. Not even wealth, no matter how much you feel you earned it. Everything belongs to God. We are simply stewards of His creation (the world and everything in it), which brings me to another value that many so-called “moral” Christians miss out on: the environment and immigration.

What is virtuous about polluting our planet? What is moral about placing corporate monetary gain over the survival of the planet? What is Christian about destroying God’s creation? It seems that conservatives would rather hate Al Gore than admit that we’re destroying the planet.

Why are conservatives so scared of immigrants? Most of these conservatives are wasps, White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, none of which is indigenous to this part of the world. Most Americans are descendants of immigrants; people who came to the New World and brutally and immorally forced out the prior occupants, the Native Americans. Now that these immigrants have settled down for several generations, they somehow feel justified in preventing other immigrants from coming over. How is this double standard moral? Again, we are but stewards of God’s creation, not owners! How is it moral to have such hatred for immigrants?

Today George W. Bush said about the Congress: “Their majority was elected on a pledge of fiscal responsibility, but so far it is acting like a teenager with a new credit card.” How is it moral to spend some $1.2 TRILLION on the president’s unnecessary war, but we can’t spend $50 billion on children’s health care, on rebuilding New Orleans and hurricane disaster areas, and education. How is it moral to spend so much money on death, but deny money on life? This unnecessary war is going to cost EACH American family of four approximately $21,000! How is this a “family value?”

My last gospel reference is directed to the so-called “moral” Christians, the Republican Party, the vice president, president: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” (Matthew 23:27,28)

It just seems to me that we have allowed our great country, the world’s beacon of freedom, hope, and democracy, to become a fascist and dangerous world empire. I can’t believe that this is what our founding fathers intended for us… I can’t believe that this is what the many heroic service men and women have given their lives to protect. Where did we go wrong? How do we begin the recovery process back to democracy? Is that even possible anymore?

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Thursday, October 18, 2007

I’ve neglected this blog long enough. The original purpose of this blog was simply a means to express all of the crap that was bringing me down. Over time it evolved as an outlet for other things, but the primary focus was always there… a place to take out my sadness, anger, and frustrations. I’ve been reasonably happy for quite awhile though, which brings me to the reason that I had neglected this blog. It’s occurred to me that no matter how good things are, I still do have shit that I need to get off my chest… and this whole time that I’ve been away from the blog, the shit has been piling up!!! So I’m officially back to keep the ball rolling with this blog (for anyone who cares!) Haha!

Simply put, work sucks. There is no better word to describe it. I can’t say that I’ve ever had a passion for what I’m doing, but I used to get some enjoyment out of it pretty occasionally. So much has changed over the last several months, and it seems for the worse.

I have a mixture of incompetent people and people who just could care less working for and with me. It’s horrible. Somehow mediocrity and poor performance have become mainstream to these people. They have some strange feeling that they are entitled to their job, even if they suck at it.

When it comes to work, I’m usually quite patient with people. I like the environment to be fun and engaging… this usually breeds great performance, and it has almost all of the time in the past. It’s the only way I can tolerate getting up in the morning and going to work.

Lately, it seems that work is just miserable. People just aren’t motivated to do anything correctly anymore. They feel that I’m asking entirely too much for them to simply just do their assigned job.

Maybe I’ve been too soft, too lenient, too weak with these people. Maybe they need some fierce discipline. I really hate to have manage that way, even if it’s just for awhile, but I feel I’m being given no choice. I just don’t know how much more I can put up with. I’m typically very compassionate with my employees, but many are driving me to the point to where I just don’t care anymore. I don’t care if they enjoy coming to work… I don’t care if they don’t like what they are doing… they can do the job correct, or they don’t have to do it all. They can leave if they want. I’d rather have a bunch of new people who don’t know what they’re doing but have a great attitude, rather than having a lot of people who know what they are doing who have extremely poor attitudes.

I just don’t know what to do. I really, really don’t want to have to be a dick, but I also need these people to perform the way I know they can or they need to leave.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him, and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.

Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is Communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iraq.

A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.

The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches, while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.

If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.

A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our long-time allies, then demand their cooperation and money.

Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, but providing health care to all Americans is socialism. HMOs and insurance companies have the best interests of the public at heart.

Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.

A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense, but a president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.

Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.

The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's driving record is none of our business.

Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.

You support states' rights, but the Attorney General can tell states what local voter initiatives they have the right to adopt.

What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national interest, but what Bush did in the '80s is irrelevant.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

One of my pastors, Monsignor Oliver Johnson, gives some of the best homilies I’ve ever heard. He’s a wonderful speaker and has the kindest heart, and his homilies definitively show it! Anyway, I remember the homily he gave around last Labor Day. He discussed that even though we live in a “free” society, many of us are still "slaves."

Many of us are "slaves" to corporate America. We get into a job that looks nice from the outside, but once you’re in, many of your liberties are taken away. You are no longer allowed to celebrate holidays… you are no longer allowed to be sick… you are no longer allowed to have time to yourself… you are always on call… you don’t know what you’re schedule will be from one day to another… you must set aside morals and ethics to survive… you have no guarantee that you’ll have your job next week… your success lies on how much your superiors like you, rather than your skills, work-ethic, or experience… you must accept the fact no matter how well you do, it doesn’t matter… you are a slave.

Fr. Oliver brings up a great point about one of the issues Christ faced with the Pharisees… the Pharisees accused Christ of not adhering to Mosaic Law (i.e. he would cure/heal people on the Sabbath, which was against the law.) Christ’s response to them was that people do not exist to serve the law, rather the law exists to serve the people. Any system developed by people exists to serve people, not the other way around!

Where did we go wrong in America? It seems as if we’re living as the Pharisees would have liked… we’re slaves to the systems that were designed to serve us.

Why do we sit by nonchalantly and allow corporations to enslave us? Why do we give them, the gov’t, and any other system this power? Unfortunately, the answer is fear. We are too afraid of anything and everything. We give these entities power over us because we believe they will protect us. What we fail to consider in doing this is the fact that these entities… these systems… these corporations… none of them are human! They lack emotion, compassion, moral integrity, etc. Most of all, they lack a soul and the capacity to love.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Tommy used to work on the docksUnions been on strikeHe's down on his luck...its tough, so toughGina works the diner all dayWorking for her man, she brings home her payFor love - for love

She says we've got to hold on to what we've gotcause it doesn't make a differenceIf we make it or notWe've got each other and that's a lotFor love - we'll give it a shot

[Chorus:]Whooah, we're half way thereLivin' on a prayerTake my hand and we'll make it - I swearLivin' on a prayer

Tommy's got his six string in hockNow he's holding in what he usedTo make it talk - so tough, it's toughGina dreams of running awayWhen she cries in the nightTommy whispers baby it's okay, someday

We've got to hold on to what we've gotcause it doesn't make a differenceIf we make it or notWe've got each other and that's a lotFor love - we'll give it a shot

[Chorus]

We've got to hold on ready or notYou live for the fight when it's all that you've got

[Chorus]

First off, I love this song. It’s just a classic rock song… and I love it. Secondly, it’s sung by Jon Bon Jovi… total hottie!!! This guy has a down-right sexy voice and hot bod… then and now!

This song reminds me a bit of my life. While I don’t necessarily struggle with making money, I’m pretty much stuck in a dead end job that has very little job security. Seeing how the economy’s been as well as my company’s recent and long term history of laying people off, I could easily lose my job at any given time.

Then what do I do? I’ve wasted my life away with this job. I never finished my degree… I don’t really have much to fall back on. So it’s a bit frightening for me to try to ponder life after this crappy job I have.

This song is upbeat and hopeful. I’m with someone I love very much, so that’s all that should matter, right? Well, that’s what the song says anyway! Heh!

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Ok... I'm back to continue my rants. Also, I started a secondary blog (Incidentally) for stupid movie / tv quotes. I don't know how long I'll keep that up, or for that matter, how often I'll update the thing. New material and media isn't the easiest thing to keep up with!

Sunday, April 08, 2007

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Let all partake of the feast of faith. Let all receive the riches of goodness.

Let no one lament his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed.

Let no one mourn his transgressions, for pardon has dawned from the grave.

Let no one fear death, for the Saviour's death has set us free.

He that was taken by death has annihilated it! He descended into hades and took hades captive! He embittered it when it tasted his flesh! And anticipating this Isaiah exclaimed, "Hades was embittered when it encountered thee in the lower regions." It was embittered, for it was abolished! It was embittered, for it was mocked! It was embittered, for it was purged! It was embittered, for it was despoiled! It was embittered, for it was bound in chains!

It took a body and, face to face, met God! It took earth and encountered heaven! It took what it saw but crumbled before what it had not seen!

"O death, where is thy sting? O hades, where is thy victory?"

Christ is risen, and you are overthrown!

Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen!

Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice!

Christ is risen, and life reigns!

Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in a tomb!

For Christ, being raised from the dead, has become the First-fruits of them that slept.